Withdrawing
by Cr8zeCorbinFangirl
Summary: After Tachibana is hit by a car, Ootani begins to pull away from his lover. Can Tachibana break him out of his shell once more? Ai no Kotodama movie-fanfic. R&R please!
1. Chapter 1

Ootani's life was...

Okay, it sucked. Kind of...alright, not really. Kind of, maybe.

He lived in a 1DK apartment that he had to share.

He had a dead end job that was _always_ on the verge of shutdown.

School sucked.

But then again, the apartment he shared was with his boyfriend and that helped him smile everyday.

His job was something else. He _never_ smiled at work, only on the inside. Especially when his Boss started being a fool when _anybody_ - he stresses the 'anybody' part, male or female - cute comes in.

School sucked. There was no way around that.

"Mou, hurry up, Oo-kame!" A hard leather bag in the back made him stumble and he turned around. Tachibana stood there in his usual feminine-like outfit, a bright smile shining in his crooked teeth.

"Oi!" Ootani raced to the teacher, missing him if not by a hair. He ran forward, chasing after him and laughing all the way. "I'm not slow!"

"Yes you are!" Tachibana laughed, his voice turning just a bit high.

"No I'm not." Ootani retorted, suddenly feeling like this kid his lover so often called him.

Tachibana finally slowed down, letting Ootani catch up with him. In his usual fashion, he poked his head through the straps, letting his arms hand while he held tight. "Any news from Sho-kun?"

"Him and whats-his-name are sight-seeing in Mon-something."

Tachibana laughed, looking over at the street and then at Ootani. "You're really not good with American names, ne?"

Ootani rolled his eyes. "At least I can write my kanji." Tachibana stuck out his tongue.

As they got closer to the apartment, the streets they took turned to back roads that only years of wanting to get out of damned heat in the summer could tell. The game of 'insult-here-tackle-there' had gotten even more rambunctious.

A horn honked as Ootani pushed Tachibana away from his sensitive side.

Tachibana's bag flew in the air, landing alongside a sickening thud.

"Tachibana..." Ootani's voice failed him. He hurried to Tachibana's side, quick to make sure that the other was alright. When his white over-shirt quickly turned red, his breath hitched in his throat.

He let go a breath when Tachibana's eyes rolled up to meet his. "Shinya...what happened?" He attempted to sit up, but quickly grabbed his side and abandoned the effort. Ootani gulped past the lump in hopes that the other wouldn't see the blood.

"Sit still." Ootani's shaking hands reached into his back pocket, dialing for an ambulance. "Hello? My name is Ootani Shinya. My...boyfriend was just...oi!" He shook Tachibana as he noticed the other start to let his eyes fall, "No, not you ma'am. He was about to knock out. He was hit by a car...no I didn't get a number. Eh?" He shook his head, trying to clear all the noise in his head. Suddenly, it seemed that even a cricket's chirp was too loud. "Oh, his name is Tachibana Miyako. Yes. Yes. Umm..." He looked around. "Try Fujiyasaki, 5713. Yes. Yes. Thank you." He hung up, his other arm that had been free wrapping around Tachibana. "Oi, OI! Don't go to sleep!" He slapped at the other's cheek.

Tachibana flashed another smile and Ootani suppressed the urge to hit the baka. "You called me your boyfriend."

Ootani rolled his eyes. "Now isn't the time to get sentimental, baka."

Tachibana pulled close, like this was any other time in bed. You know, if he could get pass the fact that Ootani's fingers were digging so deep into his sides, the doctors were bound to find new bruises.

He couldn't help it. He started laughing. He was going to a hospital. He must be going delirious.

"What the hell are you laughing about?"

Tachibana laughed again, looking up at Ootani. "No~thing...Shin~ya."

Ootani suppressed a growl. This baka had turned into a meccha baka.

When the ambulance finally came, Tachibana gladly went to sleep when told.


	2. Chapter 2

Ootani jolted upwards, breath not coming so easily from his lungs to his mouth. Reality caught up with him and the memory washed away into his 1DK apartment. He looked around, eyes settling with guilt and hurt on the sleeping Tachibana.

It had been almost two weeks since the accident. Tachibana had been let out the next day, staying only after surgery for stitches that at his moment, Ootani could see clearly. Though his lover had told him everything's alright, Ootani just couldn't help pulling into himself, just as he had with Mizusawa.

The sun shone clear through the curtains and Ootani realized that if he didn't move quick, Tachibana was going to corner him. He scuffled out of bed, not casting another look to the other man until a soft hand clasped his wrist.

"Don't go..." Tachibana's voice was soft, but still held a sense of being wide awake.

Ootani's breath hitched in his throat. He wanted to ask how long the other had been awake, but the other half of him just told him to run. Run, run far away, run so you don't hurt him again. He rolled his lips for a moment, nipping at them. Finally, he decided on just patting Tachibana's hand and pulling away to the shower.

"I thought after Yuki-chan, we promised no more secrets." Ootani froze at Tachibana's voice, wanting still to listen, but not wanting to turn around and speak. He could feel Tachibana's gaze digging through to his spine, but the fear of looking back at him gave him strength _**NOT**_ to turn around.

It wasn't moments later that arms wrapped around his waist and an ear, pressed against his back, was listen to his heart beat faster and faster. "Shinya..."

Exactly then did Ootani melt, turning in those arms and wrapping his own around Tachibana's shoulders, chest pressed against chest. Unconsciously, his fingers played across the stitches' scar. It ran from a little past the other's hip to just touching Tachibana's neck. And though it was thin, it might as well covered all of Tachibana's body. Again, Tachibana's bleeding body flashed past his eyes and he buried himself in the crook of his neck, breathing in Tachibana's smell. _Tiffany..._

Tachibana froze a bit in shock, but smiled and closed his eyes, resuming to listening to Ootani's heartbeat. "You didn't see it. The blood...you're blood...it was...I mean..."

"Shh..." Tachibana uttered, feeling like he was nursing the kid he saw in Ootani. "I'm fine. I'm here and I'm..."

"No, you're not!" Ootani pulled away, while Tachibana looked confused. "If you were, that scar wouldn't be there." Unconsciously, Tachibana touched the scar at his neck. "You wouldn't..."

Ootani stopped talking when his back hit against the wall, lips pressed against his. Eyes closed and lips pushed back in an attempt to have _some_ control. To tell Tachibana -you're not just shutting me up, I'm taking what I want. But they both knew that Tachibana was _giving_ what Ootani needed - assurance. Assurance that Tachibana Miyako loved him and would get hurt _if _he left.

The kiss broke and Ootani looked down into mischievous dark eyes and a warm smile. He smiled back and dived back in for another kiss. Lips parted and a half-hearted game of tonsil hockey was played. Ootani pulled away, pressing kisses and light bites along the side of Tachibana's face.

Tachibana giggled, then moaned lightly. "Shinya...we have class....Shin~ya..."

Ootani ignored him, continuing with his kisses. When his lips pressed against the scar, he didn't even flinch. Suddenly, it didn't seem that taunting anymore.


End file.
